- Today's Word
Moxie
[MOK-see]
Definition
- (noun) Courage, determination, and energy. It describes a person’s ability to face difficulty with spirit and courage, often implying a combination of nerve, skill, and confidence.
Example
Despite being new to the company, Sarah showed real moxie when she stood up to the CEO and pointed out the flaws in his proposed strategy.
Fun Fact
The word “moxie” originated as a brand name for a soft drink created in 1876 by Dr. Augustin Thompson in Lowell, Massachusetts. The carbonated beverage was marketed as a nerve tonic and claimed to cure various ailments. The drink’s advertising emphasized its ability to build courage, thus the word “moxie” gradually entered the American lexicon as a term for courage and verve. Interestingly, Moxie was one of the first mass-produced soft drinks in the United States, predating Coca-Cola by about a decade.
(verb) To criticize someone or something severely and publicly, often with harsh or scathing language.
The columnist excoriated the company’s leadership for ignoring repeated safety warnings.
Excoriate comes from the Latin excoriare, meaning “to strip off the skin,” from ex- (“off”) and corium (“hide” or “skin”). While the word originally described physical abrasion, its meaning shifted metaphorically over time to describe verbal attacks so harsh they feel skin-deep, leaving nothing protected.